Gawler Gas Works - Hidden Secrets

Gawler Gas Works

10 Seventh Street, Gawler.

[Begin Transcript]  In 1868, The Provincial Gas Company was formed to be direct competition to the South Australian Gas Company. The company’s foundation members included local Gawler businesses men James Martin and Sir Walter Duffield (CORRECTION - Walter Duffield was never knighted.). The Provincial Gas Company planned to build three gas works, one in Strathalbyn, one in Kapunda and one in Gawler.

 Parliament granted incorporation of the company in 1869, with equipment ordered from England the same year.

The Gawler Gas Works were built on 7th street, Gawler. Its fires were lit on the 10th of September 1869 with gas commencing through lines from the 14th of October 1869.

 Gawler Council did not wish to outlay money towards lamp lights within the town. It took until 1879, with the donation of a lamp for the northern end of Murray Street, from the aptly named H.E. Bright Junior for Gawler to get its first lamp. The next lamp was situated at the corner of Murray Street and Calton Road, and again was a donation, this time from James Martin. G.M. Hawkes donated a lamp for the southern intersection of Murray Street and Bridge Street.

 A man was employed in Gawler to light and extinguish the lamps. He rode a bicycle with a ladder on his shoulder. Gawler Council refused to light the gas lamps for 6 nights before, and six nights after a full moon. It also demanded all lamps to be extinguished from 10:30 pm to save money.

From 1866 until 1897 Gawler’s lamplighter was Mr Creyghton. Creyghton was replaced in 1897 after a lamp exploded, and he could not explain to the council how it occurred.  Mr Coward started as lamplight in 1898 earning 2 pounds, two shillings and 6d per month for his service. Coward served as a lamplighter in Gawler until 1909. The combined position of Nightman and Lamplighter was advertised in Gawler that same year.

 The new lamplighter D Wells faced considerable opposition from Council and was accused of not doing his job properly, with many councillors wanting the position refilled. Councillor Thorrup opposed stating that, the new lamplighter had not received much training from the previous man employed and needed more time to improve. Wells quit the position in March 1910.

Gawler South appointed its own lamplighter from 1907, Mr Michael Regan. In 1908 the position went to H. Masters.

Electricity generation came to Gawler on the 16th of June 1912. Mayor Reibech flicked the switch to turn on the new electric streetlights at the official opening on the 16th of August 1912.

The Gawler Gas Works continued production, supplying gas in the region, but with the installation of electricity in the town, the demand for gas dropped. The outbreak of World War One added further problems to the gasworks, making the supply of machinery and coal from NSW harder to come by. The Gawler Gas Works officially closed on 30th of November 1917.

  After many years of being empty, the site of the former gas works became a racing stable, with a house built on the property as well. The house was demolished in 2017.
 In 2018 the site has been made available for sale, with real estate agents, McGees property stating on their website about the site:

Approval for a modern, single-storey medical centre of 543 square metres (approx.), 51 car parks and a separate administration building of 390 sqm (approx.)

The rear former gasworks is protected under heritage laws, and can be modified for adaptive use, but must be preserved in future plans. [end transcript].

Researched, written, compiled, filmed and edited by Allen Tiller. [© 2019 – Hidden Secrets]

My thank to McGees Property: https://www.adl.mcgees.com.au/

Find out more about the sale here: https://www.adl.mcgees.com.au/buying/commercial-listings.php?sid=758667&suid=3e3cfc28967fd35712c6761ffe1f9f6e

Gawler History Team: www.gawlerhistory.com

Gawler Gas Works: https://gawlerhistory.com/Gawler_Gas_Works

Mayor Rebbeck: https://gawlerhistory.com/Rebbeck_Charles_George